Mission
by Juliejo2001
Summary: On a mission to The Space Colony ARK, Shadow and Rouge find more than some missing files. Light AU.
1. Morning

**AN: Well here goes a story I just came up with, due to a very busy school year, I may not update often...**

**Morning**

Shadow The Hedgehog was sleeping in the room he and his partner Rouge shared at G.U.N. HQ. It wasn't anything to talk about, just a bunk bed, a small television, and a dresser they shared. The walls were a dreadful beige color, and they were covered up with papers and pictures and other clues they needed for cases. Other than that the room was blank and bare as the duo were often out on missions, so there was no need to decorate. A large window on the west wall was covered up with pure white curtains, but that did not prevent sunlight from leaking through and waking Rouge up today.

Realizing that her partner was still sleeping, a mischievous grin slowly spread across her face. She quickly climbed down the ladder of her bed, past the empty middle bunk, and to the ground where Shadow slept on the lowermost bunk. She then squat so she was more level with Shadow's face. Shaking Shadow with both arms repeatedly, she whisper-shouted: "Shadow! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! HURRY THERE'S AN EMERGENCY!" She was also trying to hide her large grin as she held back several giggles.

Shadow opened one eye and saw his partner who was laughing so much while doing this and let out nothing more than a "Hmph." He wanted to sleep in as much as possible before the mission they had to leave for in the afternoon and would not let the ivory bat have her way.

Too bad that she continued to try to wake up Shadow even more, causing him to roll over and cover his ears with his pillow. He recalled Rouge saying that she wanted to go for some breakfast at a ritzy cafe, he could remember how she had heard so much about their coffee and their pastries. He also knew that this mission would keep them away for two days at least.

Maybe it was really the mission he was dreading. Not waking up and having to go eat lunch with his companion. A week ago, the G.U.N. Commander had called them over, stating that they'd 'lost' some important files and that the only place they were backed up at was Shadow's old home itself. He didn't really want to go, but he knew that place like the back of his hand and thus he along with Rouge were tasked with investigating the old space station. He had stopped grieving over the lost of his best friend Maria, and while it was fifty years ago, he had only spent two real years awake after being stored in a stasis of sorts. The wound on his heart was healed somewhat, and he'd no longer mope around or the like - but the scar was still there.

Shadow glanced at Rouge for a second, then said: "Fine Rouge, let me go take a bath first." The hedgehog stretched out both arms and let out a hearty yawn. "Go get ready and stuff so we can get to that restaurant. We're not going to wait on a line like last time."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to curse a waiter out again." Rouge said snarkily as she regained her stoic, coquette-ish demeanor.

Shadow rolled his eyes at that comment as he tidied up his bunk. Those same irises wandered up to the middle bunk, empty and neat. It was lonely and he secretly wished there was a third member to fill that bunk up.

**A/N: Well there goes the first chapter! **


	2. Breakfast

**A/N: Greetings Pekoponians! I HAVE ARRIVED WITH A NEW CHAPTER! Enjoy, read, review, favorite, what ever is your cup of tea!**

**Breakfast**

Station Square's newest cafe was supposed to be the hottest one there was right now. Right now as in that once the next cafe opened up, this place would become desolate and bare. But right now it was filled with many different Mobians and a few aliens who were stopping at the planet for a chance to relax. It's odd how aliens could secure a reservation as a spontaneous rest-stop if you will. Shadow was stuck pondering that subject for a while, _If we could barely get a table how did those guys get to if they're just passing through? _Shadow once again pondered this and tried to come up with a resolution. However, Rouge noticed this and cleared her throat awkwardly to bring the hedgehog back to reality.

"Shadow. Quit spacing out, the waiter should be here soon." Rouge saw Shadow as a brother, if you will. As in a brother, she meant a _little_ brother. She often had to keep him in line and make sure the gruff and angry hedgehog wouldn't lash out at people for annoying him. When Sonic came over things really got heated and she'd need all her sanity to get through those arguments...

"Huh? Oh yeah. What are you gonna get Rouge?" Shadow said with a bored tone of voice, this cafe would be the death of him. And he's immortal.

A glance around the room they were in showed light baby blue walls with white accenting and picture frames all around it. There were large windows that let the sunlight leak and flood in. Black metal chairs that had twisted-curvish backs with pale-pink cushions. This cafe actually reminded him of Maria. The soft pastel colors she loved, the architecture, pictures surrounding them all. It was almost the exact same way she wished to redecorate her room on the ARK...

Gerald gave in almost immediately - he could not deny his grand-daughter anything. He remembered taking one look at her room and knowing it was his complete opposite. Yet the sweet girl who loved color and light, also loved him. He was dark - quite literally as he was black and red, and had a bit of a grumpy attitude to him. Yet out of all the things like cooking, painting, writing, singing, and studying, she loved being with him the most.

Their differences were completely obvious. The snarky and often irritable Shadow was almost joined at the hip with sweet, innocent, charitable Maria.

Seeing this room made him remember lazy days where they look at the stars and wonder what earth was like, or explore some unknown corridor of the colony, even those times when Maria tried to 'tutor' Shadow in the culinary arts and he'd make the most burnt and horrible tasting meals.

This dish of a hamburger with some bacon however, wasn't one of them. This cafe had delicious food and he actually wanted to come back here some day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rouge enjoying her salad with a smile on her face because they both knew how much this place meant to him now.

After they'd finished their meal, Shadow and Rouge walked over to his motorcycle and sped off and away to H.Q. for their mission.

**A/N: So guys? What did you think? All Sonic characters belong to SEGA and whatnot.  
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**EDIT: And yeah, Omega's in the G.U.N. labs because he's a robot. He would definitely destroy that bunk DryadPrincess! XD Thanks for reviewing! You too Potato Man!**


	3. Racing Your Rival

**A/N: Well, it's been a long time, here goes! And this story takes place 3 years after the SA2 Sonic X adaption in the same AU as The Best Friends in The World.**

**_G.U.N. Base_**

"Shadow?" Rouge called out as she searched for her partner that just _ditched_ her to go race Sonic for what had been the umpteenth time this week. She let out a loud sigh and crossed her arms. She whirled around to face Omega, who had been in the shop for some repairs. "Look, I don't know when Shadow will get back here, but when he does-" she paused for a moment "if he makes us late for the mission briefing I will never let him see the light of day." She didn't really mean that however, hopefully, for Shadow's sake.

"Affirmative. I shall scan for Shadow to locate him and I shall retrieve him." Omega was about to head for the door but was blocked by Rouge who didn't look enthused in the slightest.

"You're staying here. Tails still needs to fine-tune your upgrades and the last thing we need is for some insane malfunction - like the one that got you in this mess!" Rouge jabbed her finger at the robot who in times of emergency rushed into battle, all units and officers were called out and as one would guess, this was an almost lethal mistake for Omega.

Tails entered the room, "Hey guys, I'm back. I got this super cool weapon idea, what if I tried adding a turbo booster-"

"NO! Go on and finish up repairing Omega so we can start this mission already!" Rouge interjected, causing Tails to practically jump at the outburst.

A bit of exposition is in order here: after the whole Metarex conflict two years prior, G.U.N. decided to recruit the whole Sonic Team, sans Knuckles who insisted that he couldn't be taken away from Angel Island and The Master Emerald, he did assist the group all the same on missions and in cases of catastrophe, so nothing really changed in a way.

**Rainforest -Approx. 15 miles from The G.U.N. Base-**

"You gotta go faster than that to top me Shadow_, or is the Ultimate Lifeform not fast enough to catch me?_" With that remark, you knew Sonic The Hedgehog was definitely tempting fate. But what could be possibly hanging in the balance with this 'friendly race'?

_The loser has to buy lunch._

"Please, I'm holding back. I'll leave you in the dust, _faker._" Shadow retorted as he spin-dashed into some stray badniks that belonged to none other than Dr. Eggman. He rounded a bend and caught the lead as he turned. _One mile left Shadow, and then you gotta get back to base._ Shadow thought to himself as he felt the sticky, warm, tropical air in this small secluded rainforest.

"Oh really? You're holding back? I'm hurt Shadow, you know I expect your A game." Sonic caught up to Shadow, and they were neck and neck.

Only 10 feet to the finish line and a loud _**ring ring**_ erupts from both Sonic and Shadow's wrist communicators.

"Guys can you get back to base? Rouge is losing her patience with you two and she wants Shadow to come over now." Tails then mouthed the words 'help me'.

" 'Kay buddy, hang in there, we'll be back in a cinch." Sonic said, shooting his brother a wink.

"Tell Rouge that she's no fun." Shadow said that in the most dry tone ever known to mankind, or mobiankind for that fact.

"Okay guys. _Please hurry._" The urgency in Tails' voice was hilarious.

**_Space Colony A.R.K: Secret Room._**

The room was dark, dismal. A light hung lazily from the roof, but it stopped working years ago. Several pods decorated and ornamented the room in way, as they lined the walls up and down the long musty corridor.

If one were to squint their eyes they could see past the fog clouding the plexiglass tubes and see them all vacant, empty.

_Except for one._

The figure of a little girl, no younger than 12 could be seen, her chest breathing slowly. She was clothed in a once-blue dress that was now stained with dried up blood. What had been different about this girl now from the time she had been 'killed' was that she, _was no longer human._

**A/N: So we got a bit of world building and a bit more character interaction, and a nice little teaser about Maria. Good work today me! *Pats my own back* I should update more regularly now that I got out of this little case of writer's block. PLEASE READ, REVIEW AND COMMENT!**


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